


The Legend of the Gems

by OddieTales



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Based on the Irish myths, Cute, Gen, Kid!Marianne, Legends & Myths, Little Marianne, Pre-Canon, Strange Magic Anniversary, bedtime story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28944099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddieTales/pseuds/OddieTales
Summary: The Fairy Queen tells a bedtime story to her eldest daughter.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	The Legend of the Gems

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Irish myth of "The Four Treasures of Ireland"  
> My contribution to the Strange Magic Anniversary. I hope you like it!

The night fell upon the Fairy Kingdom, dropping a canopy of stars over the fields, and a crescent moon lighting up the stone castle from above. 

Queen Elowen wandered through the empty halls, every step followed by a faint echo. For some strange reason, she had suffered from insomnia for several weeks. But she wasn't  really  worried about it, at least not after her second childbirth a few months ago. Lack of sleep became a regular thing, even during the day. Neither the royal healers nor her troubled husband knew how to help her. She felt fine, though. More than fine, actually. Her life was complete.  She had everything she needed, a lovely husband, two wonderful daughters… She was the happiest woman on earth. What else could she ask for?

She walked up to one of the large windows, taking a look outside. She sighed as she gazed at the landscape. A gentle wind swayed the blades of grass, carrying cricket songs with it as fireflies danced in the air. She loved these nice, peaceful nights.  At times like these, she felt like she was the Queen of the Night, watching over every creature and putting them to sleep. Fairies, elves, pixies, brownies. Everyone was in bed, safe and sound, asleep… Well, almost everyone…

"Mommy?" A soft voice called.

Queen Elowen turned around and spotted her daughter right behind her. "Marianne! What are you doing here? You should be in bed, dear," she said quietly.

"You too, mommy."

The queen huffed out a laugh at her response. "Yeah, you're right." She bent over, her hands resting on her knees. "But little girls like you need more sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, you'll feel tired tomorrow."

"I'm six already. I'm a big girl now, I won't get tired," Marianne said proudly.

"Mmm, okay,  maybe …" Elowen petted Marianne's hair. "But if you do, you won't be able to play with Dawn. And she'll get lonely without you."

The little girl pouted, making a funny face. "Mmmmm… Okay. But I'm not sleepy now."

The queen pondered for a moment, thinking about what to say. "Alright, look, this is what we'll do. We'll go to your bedroom and I'll stay with you until you fall asleep. What do you say?"

"Will you tell me a bedtime story?" Marianne asked, excited.

"Of course!"

"Okay!" the little princess beamed, her wings twitching  avidly.

Elowen reached out her hand, giggling. " Shall  we go then?"

"Yesyesyes!" Marianne took her hand and walked up to her bedroom, leading the way as she bounced  happily.

The fairy queen smiled at her daughter, wondering where she got that energy from.

Shortly after, they got to the girl's chamber, and as soon as her mother opened the door, Marianne rushed in and went straight to the bed. She sat on the edge, jiggling her feet. "Hurry up, mommy!"

Elowen closed the door behind her. "Hahaha, alright, alright. I'm not going anywhere." She approached the bed and tuck her in, caressing her hair. "So, what story would you like to hear?"

Marianne curled up, lying on her side, looking at her mother with sparkly eyes. "The story of the gems."

"The Four Gems, huh? I've told you that story a thousand times. Are you sure you want to hear it again?" she teased.

"Hehehe, yes, please! I like that story."

"Okay, if you insist." Elowen sat on the bed next to Marianne, facing her. "You ready, little bee?"

"Mmm-hmm," the girl nodded, smiling from ear to ear.

The queen smiled back, stroking her daughter's little locks. And so, the story began:

"Once upon a time, long ago, when there were no kingdoms and magic ran wild, some ancient spirits came to our world from a faraway land. These spirits were known as 'The Great Sages'.

The Sages were mystical beings who could control the elements, and master all kinds of magic. Each of them carried a special tool, the source of their power: The Four Gems. They wandered around the land, learning from every creature they met.  A world full of life, overflowing with magic… They were so fascinated they decided to share the power of the Gems, and teach their magic.

In the beginning, creatures of every kind travelled from all places to meet the Sages and learn about the Gems.  Each one had a purpose: some wanted to become stronger or bigger, others wanted healing powers, and some were  merely curious .

There were also evil creatures who had a thirst for power and wanted to possess the Gems. The Sages tried to talk to them, to make them understand that magic was meant to be shared, not owned. But the evil creatures would not listen. They laughed at their words, and a few of them dared to snatch the Gems from the Sages,  unsuccessfully.

The evil ones fought the good ones out of envy and greed, causing conflicts and wars. When they saw what was happening, the Sages felt guilty and sad. They had made a mistake; they had disturbed those creature's peace.  And so, to give them back their harmony and make things right, they decided to hide the Gems separately, and then vanished from the earth without a trace.

The Sages were never seen again. They say that they are still alive somewhere, watching over us from another dimension. As for the Gems, many people attempted to find them. So far, nobody knows where they are…"

Marianne yawned, looking at her mother with her eyes half-closed. "And… what happens if you… collect them all?"

"I'm not sure," the queen whispered. "But the legend says that they grant you a wish."

"Mmm… when I grow up… I'll go find them…" She closed her eyes, breathing gently.

"I'm sure you will, my dear," Elowen smiled, brushing her daughter's face with the back of her hand. "You can do anything." She kissed her daughter's forehead before getting up to leave.

She walked slowly to the door, and then turned back to look at her peacefully sleeping daughter. "Sweet dreams, little bee," she muttered before closing the door.

When she left the room, the fairy queen stood in front of the entrance, still holding the door handle. "Good night, Marianne," she said out loud, facing the door for a few seconds. She let go of the handle and turned around, heading towards the empty hall bathed in moonlight.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is some kind of prologue for another long fanfic. Although, I still don't know when I'll be able to write it.  
> Also, I wanted to write a short story about Marianne and her mom :3
> 
> Comments are really appreciated!


End file.
